UNEP is working with a variety of UN and non-UN partners to address climate change. Key actors with which UNEP collaborates include:
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat is the conduit for the United Nations system inputs into the intergovernmental negotiation process.
Key areas of cooperation that were agreed with the UNFCCC Secretariat in a joint work programme for 2008-2009 included: strategic communications; utilizing UNEP’s analytical capacity to support the negotiations process; assisting small and medium-sized developing countries in the international negotiations and capacity building and provision of targeted analysis.
UNEP and UNFCCC are also working closely on supporting UNFCCC work streams, especially the work of the Expert Group on Technology Transfer, efforts on financing of climate investments and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). A similar joint work programme will be developed for 2010 -11.
The United Nations Development Programme is another key partner for UNEP. Both organizations have reviewed each others climate change strategies to ensure full complementarities. While some of the desired impacts are similar (in terms of adaptation, finance and mainstreaming for example), the means to achieve these are distinct. At the country level UNEP will focus on piloting new and innovative approaches, developing guidelines and blueprints while UNDP will look to “upscale” these proven methods. Wherever possible more detailed programmes will be developed to present a unified approach to a particular theme, for example the UNEP-UNDP-FAO Collaborative Programme on REDD under which the three agencies are undertaking all of their REDD activities jointly, based on their distinct but complementary roles. Activities such as adaptation mainstreaming will be undertaken through mechanisms such as the UNEP-UNDP Poverty Environment Initiative to ensure a coordinated country approach that is fully in line with the Nairobi Framework.
The World Bank is also an increasingly important partner. UNEP and the Bank have consulted on their climate change work with positive results including UNEP playing a more active part in the World Bank Climate Investment Funds. Similarly, UNEP is working towards specific agreements with the Bank for implementing joint or complementary work on issues such as REDD, transport etc. UNEP’s work on finance will be fully complementary with the World Bank, as the Bank focuses on the provision of large-scale investments and UNEP limits its work to capacity building of national investors, banks and other institutions.
UNEP will assume two roles in work with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Secretariat: a support role based on UNEP scientists helping the IPCC in the global assessment processes and communicating the results to a wider audience; and an implementation role in helping countries to use IPCC methodologies, scenarios and tools to develop their own national and regional assessments to shape policy. In the implementation role, UNEP will also focus efforts on climate-proofing vulnerable economies and create a wider outreach aimed at bridging the knowledge gap on the implications and actions needed as a result of IPCC assessment reports.
Many organizations within the UN system are addressing climate change.
The Secretary-General has identified five focus areas and four cross-cutting areas around which the United Nations will coordinate its climate change activities. He has proposed that UN organizations with significant programmes and mandates in each of these nine areas should play a convening role. UNEP has been assigned a co-convening role for capacity building (with UNDP), Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (with FAO and UNDP), public awareness (with UNCG) and climate neutral UN. These four areas will help UNEP to further focus its own climate change work.
The above of just a few of the many organizations and partners UNEP works with.